Jonah moved around the door and further inside the room. “Why? I just saw Josh leave the parking lot.” He gazed around the room as well as the sound booth window. “Where is the rest of your crew?”
“They left an hour ago. They recorded some guitar solos and shit that didn’t require my voice. I’m the one behind.”
“Okay. What seems to be the problem? Maybe I can help. I’m still a musician at heart.”
Theo nodded. At least his brother wasn’t pissed…yet. He’d just arrived. There was plenty of time to see his face turn that awesome purple shade when he started yelling. And he would once Theo explained the reason why the demo wasn’t finished.
Fuck…
“I uh…I’m not feeling the music. The lyrics, I mean. They’re geared for mainstream boy bands after teenage girls with daddy’s credit card. You know this isn’t our music. Why are we wasting time with this crap when we should be working on our album?”
“Theo, you knew about these songs before we came to Savannah.” His brother examined the papers and neared the table where they were stacked. “It’s not like they’ll be on your album. It’s just a demo, which I need by next Tuesday. I’ll be picking it up after my meeting with the investor. After I fly out Wednesday, you’ll have plenty of time to concentrate on your music.”
“Why does the demo have to be this crap?” He scrunched the sheet of paper in his hand while waving it at Jonah. “Your connection should want to hear our songs, not this shit. Did you even read these? I’m assuming not since you seem okay with me doing a demo of this junk. Allow me the honor of making your ears bleed.”
“Theo—”
He raised his palm to his brother’s face and scanned the words again. “Oooh baby you’re so fine. You blow my mind. Gotta make you mine and bump and grind until the break of day… What the fuck, man? I can’t sing this shit.”
Jonah growled. His body grew rigid as he turned his back to Theo. His shoes scuffed against the carpet with every step he made in the opposite direction. “I read the songs, Theo. Yes, I know they’re horrid. Jensen picks crap lyrics for everyone. It’s his way of seeing who is serious about their career.” He finally sat in the chair across from Theo and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Look at it like you went to college and pledged to a frat house. Singing this music is your form of being hazed. But doing it will get you into the fraternity. The music industry is your frat house, man. Make the pledge or go the fuck home.”
Something inside Theo snapped. He gritted his teeth and slammed the paper back against the stack before approaching his brother. “I didn’t go to college.” He poked his chest with his finger. “I sure as hell wouldn’t join a frat house. You’re describing yourself, Jonah. I can’t fake a performance. That’s what I’d have to do to sing these bubble gum lyrics.”
“Theo, I’m not going to argue with you. It’s just three songs. If you can’t sing three crappy songs to help you get ahead in this industry, I don’t know what else to say.” Jonah stood and patted his chest. “I’ve put my name on the line for you. Don’t make me regret it. If you want this bad enough, you’ll do whatever it takes.”
He turned his back and made it three steps before Theo grew enraged. “Is that what you did, Jonah, when you left me in New Orleans? Did you do whatever it took to get ahead?”
Jonah spun around and glared. The crease between his eyes deepened. His jaw set, and his face turned the funky purple shade it always did before he blew up. Things were about to get ugly. Real ugly.
“Damn it, Theo, don’t you start on that shit again. I left New Orleans because I wanted to make something of myself. The band was going nowhere, and all you wanted to do is lay around, get drunk, and screw women. One of us decided to grow up.”
“I did grow up!” Theo gritted his teeth as hard as he fisted his hands. “I know I screwed up in New Orleans. I couldn’t help it. My whole life went to hell because some punk wanted to mistreat women. I stood up for the right thing.”
“Are you talking about what happened with Parker Pearson?” When Theo nodded, Jonah huffed. “You’re the one who chose to get in a fight during school.”
“So you think it’s okay that he pushed Cassie against a wall and threatened her if she didn’t go out with him?”
“I never said you shouldn’t beat his ass. I told you to wait until after school. You didn’t.”
“I couldn’t. I’m sorry, but you would have done the same had it been Ally.”
Jonah chuckled. He strolled over to the sound booth and stared at the glass. “You’re right. I would have done the same had it been Ally. But I was in love with her. Are you finally admitting what you felt for Cassie?”
“I’m not admitting anything. Parker could have done what he did to any girl in that school and I still would have kicked his ass.”
“Then you have to live with the consequences your actions brought. We are what we make ourselves.”
Theo inched closer. “No, we’re what the Master Sergeant made us. You could have stood up to him when he threw me out of the house, but did you? Hell no. You stood by and watched me leave. Guess you didn’t want to give up your spot as the favorite son, did you?”
Jonah bolted away from the sound booth and made quick strides toward Theo. His chest puffed up as he glared at him. “I gave up everything for you. I left the girl I loved so I could go with you to New Orleans. That doesn’t count for anything, does it?”
“You didn’t give up Ally to go with me. You gave her up because Paula Jacobs threatened you. Don’t blame this shit on me.”
“Then don’t blame your failures on me.”
Their shouting ceased when they heard voices in the hallway. They grew louder as a wave of panic hit Theo. Hopefully, Cassie wasn’t still here. He couldn’t imagine her overhearing any of his conversation with Jonah or popping in to see what was happening. Luckily, the voices grew softer before fading completely.
The urge to punch Jonah remained but lessened. He wasn’t sure if Jonah felt the same. If they did exchange punches, it wouldn’t be the first fistfight they had. Probably wouldn’t be the last either.
After a moment of silence, Jonah cleared his throat and refaced him. “I don’t want to fight with you. We are supposed to stick together no matter what. Family first, remember?”
“Don’t use those empty words on me. They came from a man who didn’t put his family first. His duty to this country was his priority, then his friends, then his family. Or maybe it was just me he put last.”
“Dad loves you, Theo. He made mistakes, but so did we. Maybe if you’d go talk to him, you’d see that.”
Theo turned around and walked back to the table where his phone was sitting. He didn’t plan on bringing his father into this conversation. Now that he had, he wanted to escape. “Our father told me six years ago that he never wanted to see me again. I’m only honoring his request.”
Jonah mumbled something under his breath about stubbornness, then his steps sounded behind Theo. His brother wasn’t approaching him. He was moving toward the door. “I gotta go. I have a few things to do before the weekend starts. I’ll get with you tomorrow after we have calmed down.”
As Theo fiddled with the tuners on his guitar, he exhaled slowly and shrugged. “You know where to find me.”
Great. Jonah finally mentioned the weekend, which would have been the perfect time to bring up meeting Ally and Cassie. Now they were both too angry to discuss it. In Jonah’s current mood, he’d be closed to the topic.
The room grew void of sound, but he could sense his brother’s presence. He turned toward the door and saw Jonah standing in the hallway. “Things happen for reasons we don’t understand. Of all the recording studios in the world, we ended up back in Savannah. Maybe there’s a reason. Go see Dad.”
“Enjoy your evening, Jonah.”
His brother scoffed at his remark but said nothing. A moment later, he disappeared from Theo’s sight. It was a predictable end to a shitty day. At least nothin
g about this night could get worse. He’d be holed up in this room, doing the only thing he could do right. Make music.
Fuck the demo. Thanks to Jonah, he had enough new material to finish his album. He’d work on it tonight. Come Monday, he’d worry about the rest.
* * *
The filing cabinet door clicked closed once Cassie shut it. She worked her way back to her desk and picked up her phone. There was still no text from Ally about tomorrow, even after she promised to give Cassie an answer by five.
For the second time in the past week, Ally was late. Cassie hoped her friend wasn’t monitoring time on the watch Paula gave her. It was a pretty piece of jewelry, but it couldn’t keep time worth a lick. Of course, had it not been for the watch, Ally wouldn’t have arrived late for their date last weekend. They wouldn’t have gone to Midnight Blues or ran into Jonah and Theo. Still, it wasn’t like Ally to leave her hanging.
Tapping the back button, a list of names populated Cassie’s screen, names of contacts that recently texted. Only one of those messages hadn’t been opened, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to read it.
As her finger hovered above the message, she eyed the words Mr. O. Mike hadn’t just sent her a text. He’d sent five within the last ten minutes. After the one he sent over the weekend, she could only imagine what the new ones would say.
He was pissed, had been pissed since he woke up Saturday morning and discovered she’d left his apartment. She hadn’t noticed the message he’d sent later that night. Theo had occupied her time and attention.
Mike played the part of a concerned guy well, but it didn’t sit well with her. It felt fake. He never texted her before to ask where she was or why she hadn’t spent the night. Of course, she’d never snuck out of his apartment the way she had last Friday. They hadn’t spoken since and she wasn’t certain they would anytime soon.
Allowing her curiosity to have free reign, she tapped the message and opened their conversation. After scrolling past the new messages to the last one she read, she counted twelve total. In the last week, he’d texted at least once a day, twice on Thursday. Add the five he’d sent today and she had a grand total of bullshit.
The tone of the messages varied. A few were asking if she was okay. A couple more asked if he did something wrong. Another was his work schedule. When she noticed his hours for today, she read it again. The second glance confirmed the first. He was off work.
Mike rarely took off Fridays. Other than Saturday, it was his biggest tip day. He easily made five hundred dollars, sometimes more if the right band performed.
She’d considered going to see him after work. Of course, she hadn’t planned on working this late. It was probably just as well. She couldn’t handle his mood swings and she sure as hell didn’t want to cuddle. Not with him…
After debating on reading the text from today, she gave in and began scanning each one, but only because she wanted to know why he wasn’t scheduled to work.
Hey, darling. I’m starting to think you fell off the face of the earth. Where are you?
I’m still racking my brain, trying to figure out why you’re ignoring me. It’s been a week… What’s up, girl?
Cass… Come on, sugar. Just let me know if you’re okay. Please? I’m on the verge of calling hospitals to see if you’ve been admitted. Text me.
So, the hospitals haven’t seen you, but neither have I. Did you see my schedule? I’m off today. Jimmy needs the extra hours. The owner hates paying overtime. Hit me up and maybe we can hang. Would love to see you.
Okay… Guess you have other plans. Will you please tell me if you’re okay? That’s it. No other expectations. Later, doll ~
Releasing a deep breath, she placed the phone inside her purse then pulled the straps over her shoulder. She’d text him from home or wherever she went once she left the office. It was time to unwind and let the weekend begin.
Another glimpse of the clock on the wall reminded her how late she’d worked. The custodian would arrive in an hour to start his shift, and he was a true southern gent, one that could talk for hours. The sooner she left, the better chance she had at not getting held up by one of his long-winded conversations.
There were no clients to keep her here like the other times she’d worked over. Josh left hours ago, as had everyone but Theo. He had to be gone by now. She’d check to make sure then take the back exit to her car.
Once she logged out of her computer and scooted her chair under her desk, she hit the light switch on her way out. She treaded through the hall past a few recording rooms until she reached Studio C. The door stood ajar and a slight tapping noise drifted from room.
She crept around the door and peeked inside. Theo was slumped back in a chair, banging a pen against the table. He stared toward the sound booth, but at what she wasn’t sure.
Something about him seemed off. He was so invested in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed her, even when she entered the room. The past week hadn’t been easy on him. They’d spoken a few times, but he spent most of his time here. Maybe he was avoiding her so she wouldn’t bring up the way he kissed her on Tuesday.
If that were the case, he was right to avoid her because she had plenty of questions. Was kissing her his way of paying her back for doing the same to him on Saturday? He’d mentioned her kiss when they met at the coffee shop. Yet unlike her, he took things a step further. He’d slipped his tongue inside her mouth and rolled it with hers…
Heat erupted in her cheeks as her body tingled. Her nipples hardened at the thought, but the memory was too sweet not to remember. It made her more curious about Theo. If his mouth could make her quiver, she couldn’t imagine what his cock would do.
And the more inquisitive she grew, the more limits she wanted to push.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The desire pooling inside Cassie grew insatiable. She inched further inside the studio, doing her best to ignore the ache deep in her core, but the repetitious throbbing seemed to increase the longer she observed Theo. If she didn’t gain his attention soon, she would do something stupid, like jump in his lap and rip apart his shirt.
Keep your shit together, girl.
She repeated the phrase a few more times, forcing herself to think about more than his body. She needed to know why he was still here. The attraction she felt didn’t stem from lust alone. She genuinely cared about him.
They were friends, old friends who were so much alike they could have been twins. He may have carried a bad boy reputation, but she’d seen a side of him that others hadn’t. He cared about people, especially Jonah.
When the pen ceased its tapping, she realized she’d been gawking at him for far too long. He shifted forward and dropped his elbows to his knees. The moment he lowered his face against his palms, she placed her purse on the floor and crept closer. Whatever was wrong, she had to know now.
“Hey.” She kept her voice soft so she wouldn’t startle him. His back straightened then he dropped his hands and faced her.
“Hey. I didn’t know you were still here.”
“Likewise. What has you here so late?”
He glanced at the pen and paper beside him. “Inspiration hit. I’ve been writing songs. I have enough to finish my album. What about you? Why are you still here?”
“I had a few things to finish. It’s been a crazy week.”
“Yeah,” he grunted. “I know what you mean.”
She inched closer, brushing her hip against the edge of the table until she reached him. “What’s wrong, Theo?”
He gazed up. “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“Because,” she leaned closer and examined his face, “you don’t have that normal spark in your eye.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, then he nodded. “Jonah’s been busting my balls all week to finish the demo. The music his contact provided isn’t… my style.”
“What do you mean?”
“It sounds like something geared toward a bunch of teenage girls. I’ve been tr
ying to tweak it enough to fit the band, but I can’t focus.”
“Why not?”
He shook his head and glared in the direction of the sound booth. “I don’t know. Boredom. The lyrics suck.”
It was more than crappy music upsetting him, but she didn’t pry for answers. If he wanted to go into detail, she’d listen. The vibes he emitted said he’d rather not.
A moment later, he rose to his feet and pushed the chair back to the wall. “So, enough depressing shit. Are you ready to put our plan into action tomorrow?”
“I am. Ally hasn’t returned my text about where she and I are meeting, but the night isn’t over. She’s a late night texter.”
“Good… I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to hanging with you again. Saturday was fun. It’s too bad we couldn’t have hung out last Friday.”
“Funny you should mention that.” She hesitated as he lifted his guitar from the floor and placed it inside its case. “I actually came back to the club once Ally was tucked into bed.”
Theo closed the case and pivoted toward her. “You did?”
“Sure did. I’d planned on finding you so we could chat more, but I spotted you leaving through the back door. Your evening appeared to be full already.”
His brows kinked as if he were confused, then relaxed a few seconds later. “Well, sugar, you kinda ditched me. A couple fans wanted to hang out, so the guys and I followed them to another bar.”
A twinge of jealousy grew in Cassie, but she didn’t let it show. She had no right to be jealous of anyone he spent time with. They weren’t dating and she’d spent part of that same night with Mike. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling.
Theo gathered the papers on the desk and tapped them against the top as he kept talking. “Honestly, we parted ways around one-thirty. I ended up at Jonah’s suite, playing cards with him, Allen, and Jesse until three a.m.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation, Theo. All I wanted is for you to know that I did return. Things happen.”